A group of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Vienna University of Technology developed an ideal light capture facility.
How do you absorb light energy?
This is not the first time that scientists have come up with a way to absorb light energy, but the new "light trap" method that scientists have developed, the only way that light energy can be absorbed by even very thin and weak environments.
In a new experiment, scientists have shown how to make this process very effective; for example, scientists have shown that the laser light of any form can be fully absorbed even by a very weak environment; for example, by thin film or slightly contaminated piece of glass, scientists explain in an interview with Interesting Engineering.
Now researchers build a carefully designed cavity around the absorbent environment that doesn't let the light out, and it goes through it several times until it's completely absorbed and nothing is left of it.
Why do you need a light trap?
It's very important but difficult to capture light energy, and it's even more difficult to store it effectively. That's why scientists are trying to convert it into other forms of energy. "From the absorption of plants to the detection of light in a cell cell of a mobile phone, the energy carried by light waves or photons needs to be transformed into other forms so that it can be used," scientists explain.
For example, the light that the user sees on the smartphone display is stored first in the form of chemical energy in the battery. The printed board inside the phone allows it to convert into electrical energy, and finally it becomes the light that makes the screen glow.
Direct light absorption can significantly improve both the design and technology of devices that people use daily. Researchers believe that the capture of light is at the heart of many important processes in science, technology and nature. The potential of this process will be needed to increase the productivity of the spectrum-selective detectors and future devices that feed on light.
How does the perfect light trap work?
Researchers have developed a cavity in which many mirrors and lenses surround a thin light-absorbing environment. They have placed mirrors and lenses in such a way that when the light beam enters the cavity, it starts to move in circles. After all, the light beam has no choice but to absorb the thin environment.
In addition to the absorption medium, this light-capture device is equipped with a partially transparent mirror reflecting a mirror and two convex lenses. According to researchers, the first mirror remains partially transparent so that light can penetrate the cavity. However, it can also come out.
To prevent this, scientists have used wave interference. Let's say this is a mutual increase or decrease in the resulting amplitude of two or more coherent waves when applied to each other. It is accompanied by a rotation of maximums and minimums of intensity in space. The result of interference depends on the different phases of the input waves.
As a result, when a laser beam falls on a partially transparent mirror, it divides into two parts. After entering lenses that absorb the environment and reflect the mirror, the beam is placed on each other. The whole beam is locked in this position. It cannot escape and is absorbed by a thin environment.
What's the outcome?
Researchers argue that the technique is so perfect that it is not affected even by frequent variations in temperature or air pressure.
It's noteworthy that the device only works at one frequency of input light, so long as scientists are working to expand to a more broadband design.
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